Suspenders.



No. 732,060. PATENTBD JUNE 30,1903.- G. M. BDGARTON.

SUSPBNDERS.

nruonxon run we. 2a. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903,

PATENT OFFICE.

SUSPENDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 732,060, dated June 30, 1903. Application filed August 26, 1902. Serial No. 121,047. \NO o el- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. EDGARTON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk-and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspenders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide apparel suspenders designed to cover the minimum extent of surface and obviate the discomfort which attends the use of suspenders composed mainly of fiat webbing.

The invention also has for its object to utilize cylindrical cord for those portions of the suspenders which are engaged with the front and rear Suspender-ends, the cord construction not only enhancing the comfort of the wearer, but also permitting greater facility and ease of adjustment.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figures 1 and 2 represent, respectively, front and rear views showing suspenders embodying my invention in use. Fig. 3 represents a plan view showing the improved suspenders spread out in a flat condition. Fig. 4 represents an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a view similar to Fig. at with the outer clamping member removed. Fig. 6 represents a section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7

. represents another enlargement of a portion of the suspenders shownin Fig. 3. Fig. 8 represents a view similar to Fig. 7, show ing a different adjustment. Fig. 9 represents a section on line 9 9 of Fig. 7. Fig. 10 represents a detached View showing one of the parts shown in Figs. '7, 8, and 9. Fig. 11 represents a modification of the connection between the cord-shaped portions and the shoulder-strap portions. Figs. 12 and 13 represent another modification of the parts shown in Fig. 11.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The leading feature of my invention is the construction whereby flat webbing is used only at parts of the suspenders which bear on the wearers shoulders, the remaining parts, which ordinarily constitute the greater part of the length of the suspenders, being made of cylindrical cords, said cords by reason of their very narrow line of contact with the wearers inner garments reducing to the minimum the possibility of discomfort from the use of suspenders in hot weather, while the strap portions which rest upon the wearers shoulders distribute the pressure caused by the weight of the trousers on the wearers shoulders, so that no discomfort is experienced by the wearer from such pressure.

In the embodiment of my invention here shown, a Ct represent the front portions of the suspenders, or those whiohhang vertically from the front of the wearers shoulders and support the front suspender-ends b b.

0 represents the rear portion of the suspenders, or the portion which depends from the rear of the .wearers shoulders and is engaged with the rear Suspender-end e.

ff represent the portions of the suspenders which bear upon the wearers shoulders and connect the front parts a awith the rear part c. The front parts a a and the rear parts 0 are made of cylindrical cord, while the connecting shoulder-bearing parts ff are made of flat strips of webbing or other suitable material, said connecting parts having a suitable width to distribute the weight supported by the wearers shoulders without discomfort to the wearer.

The parts ff, which I call the shoulderstrap portions, may be connected to the cord portions (1. a and c by any suitable means, such as by metal clips or clasps f" f, as shown in Fig. 3, or by windingsff of thread, as shown in Fig. 11.

From the above it will be seen that th shoulder-bearing or supporting parts ff form the sole extended surface-contacting parts of the suspenders, the front and rear parts a and c, which traverse the front and rear portions of the wearer, having but slight surface contact with these parts of the body. Therefore the only portions of the suspenders which would present a surface sufficiently extended to present discomfort are those which lie only on theshouldersanecessarystructureto support'the trousers without discomfort such as would resultwere the cords continuouswl1i1e the front and rear parts, which lie close to the body, present but slight surface contact, with a result that no discomfort to the wearer or a disarrangement or wilting of the shirt (due to perspiration induced by the extended contact surface of webbing) will take place during the different movements of the body. The slight surface contact of the parts a and c is not sufficient to induce perspiration at these points.

The lower end of each front portion a is formed into a loop a, said loops being engaged with slides 2 2, forming parts of the front suspender-ends I), said slides being connected to the ends in suitable manner. Said front suspender-ends also include the buttonhole-tabs 3 and the connections 4, joining said tabs in pairs, said connections being suitably engaged with the slides 2. The loops ct are adjustable in length to provide for a suitable adjustment of the length of the suspenders. The loops a are formed, maintained, and adjusted as follows: To the lower end of each front portion a is affixed by any suitable'meansas, for instance, a staple, as shown at 5an inner or base clamp member 7, which, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, has a relatively wide seat or bearing-surface, which permits the cord to be extended downwardly from the point of connection 5 and then backwardly to form the loop a, the body of the cord'being in sliding contact with the clamp member 7 beside the point of attachment 5. The clamp member 7 has ears 10 10,-to which is pivoted a clamping-lever 8, between which and the cord is interposed the outer clamping member 12. Said member 12 is preferably an extension of the base member 7, bent upwardly and backwardly, so as to bear upon the outer side of the cord (1, as shown in Fig. 6, an opening being formed in the upwardly-bent portion of the member 7 for the passage of the cord-shaped portions. When the leverS is in the position shown in Fig. 6, it forces the clamp member 12 inwardly and causes the two members 7:

and 12 to firmly clamp the interposed portion of the cord between them. When the lever 8 is swung outwardly at its lower end, it releases the clamp member 12 and permits the cord to slide freely between the two clamp members for the purpose of shortening or lengthening the loop a. It will be seen that the cord is adapted by reason of its cylindrical form to slide freely between the clamp members, and thus permit the adjustment of the length of the suspenders with the minimum resistance from friction, the operation of adjusting the suspenders being performed more easily and with less friction than is the case when the front portions of the suspenders are made of flat webbing. Furthermore, the camping-surfaces being free from projections, such as are formed by the use of a serrated or roughened surface, the surface of the cord is not injured.

The rear portion is composed of a single piece of cord which when in use depends from the rear ends of the shoulder-strap portions ff substantially in the form of aV.

The rear suspender-end e comprises the buttonhole-tabs 14 14, the connection 15 between said tabs, and suitable means for connecting the part 15 with the rear portion c,said connecting means as here shown comprisingaslide 16, engaged with the portion 6 and having a loop or elongated eye 17, asimilar slide 18, engaged with the rear suspender portion 0 and having a loop or elongated eye 19, and a strap 20, passed through the eyes 17 and 19 and provided with adjustable connecting means, such as a button 21 and a plurality of buttonholes 22, whereby it may be secured to form a connecting-strap of any desired length between the eyes 17 and 19, such adjustment being obvious from an inspection of Fig. 9. A buckle may be used instead of the said button and buttonholes.

It will be seen that the described adjustable connection between the portion 6 of the rear suspender-end and the rear portion 0 of the suspenders enables the suspenders to be adjusted in length at the rear as well as at the front, so that the adjustment may be divided or distributed, thus keeping the shoulder-strap portions ff always in the proper relation to the wearers shoulders, whereas if the adjustability of the suspenders were con fined to the front portions a onlythe shoulder-strap portions might be thrown out of their proper relation to the shoulders of the wearer by an extreme adjustment of the length of the suspenders.

The rear portion 0, composed of cord, as described, is adapted to have a sliding engagement with the rear suspender-end by means of the slide 18, although, if desired, the connection between the said rear portion a and the rear suspender-end may be other than a sliding'one without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It is obvious that the parts a a, ff, and c or either of them may be of elastic fabric or material, or said parts may be inelastic. It is also obvious that the parts a a, ff, and a may be woven or otherwise constructed integral with each other or in one piece instead of being made in separate parts connected as above described.

The parts 2, 16, and 18, above referred to as slides, are preferably curved tubes, as

. shown in Fig. 9, the-inner convex surfaces of the tubes being in sliding contact with the cord portions of the suspenders. If desired, however, other suitable devices may be substituted for said tubes.

In using the term cord-shaped I intend to convey the idea that the parts a. a and care of such form that they are adapted to have a sliding engagement with the tubes 2 2 and 18 or their equivalents and are also adapted to cover only a relatively narrow extent of' surface on the wearers body. It is not necessary, however, to the accomplishment of these results that the said parts a a and cbe made absolutely cylindrical in cross section, as they may be made slightly oblong in crosssection, or, in other words, of webbing so much narrower than the parts f f that it will reduce to the minimum the surface covered by the suspenders without departing from the spirit of my invention.

The ends of the front portions a a may be connected detachably at 5 with the clamp member 7, so that the portions a may be temporarily disconnected from the member 7 and shortened by cutting off pieces of the material in case it is desired to considerably shorten the suspenders.

If desired, the cord-shaped portions may extend continuously through the shoulder-strap portionsf, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13, which show an intermediate cord-shaped portion a interposed between the layers of which the strap portionfis composed and formed integral with the portions (1 and c.

I claim 1. Suspenders comprising cord-shaped front and rear portions, flat shoulder-strap portions connecting the front and rear portions, said strap portions being of greater width than the front and rear portions, the rear portion forming a continuous connection between the strap portions, and suspender-ends engaged with the said front and rear portions, whereby the front and back of the wearer will have slight surface contact with the suspenders.

2. Suspenders comprisingcord-shaped front and rear portions, fiat shoulder-strap portions connecting the front and rear portions, said strap portions being of greater width than the front and rear portions, the rear portion forming a continuous connection between the strap portions, suspender-ends engaged with the said front and rear portions, and means for independently adjusting the length of the suspenders both at the front and rear portions, whereby the shoulder-strap portions may be maintained in a central position.

3. Suspenders comprising two flat shoulderstrap portions, two cord-shaped front portions attached to the front ends of said strap portions and having looped lower ends provided with means attached to the cord-shaped front portions for adjusting the length of the loops, frontsuspender-ends engaged with said loops, a single cord-shaped rear portion attached at its ends to the rear ends of the strap portions and depending in V shape therefrom, said front and rear cord-shaped portions travers ing the front and back of the wearer, and a rear Suspender-end engaged with said rear portion.

4. Suspenders comprising a cord-shaped rear portion, cord-shaped front portions having looped lower ends provided with means attached to the cord-shaped front portions for adjusting the length of the loops, relatively wide connections between said front and rear portions, whereby the rear portion is adapted to depend in V shape and the front portions vertically from the wearers shoulders, said portions traversing the front and back of the wearer, a rear Suspender-end includinga slide engaged with the bight of the said rear portion, a pair of buttonhole-tabs, and adjustable connections between said tabs and slide, and two front Suspender-ends each including a slide engaged with the loop of one of thefront portions, a pair of buttonhole-tabs, and connections between said tabs andslide.

5. Suspenders comprising a cord-shaped rear portion, cord-shaped front portions provided at their lower extremities with front suspender-ends, relatively wide connections between said rear and front portions whereby the rear portion is adapted to depend in V shape and the front portions vertically from the wearers shoulders, said portions traversing the front and back of the wearer, and a rear snspender-end including a slide engaged with the bight of the rear portion, a pair of buttonhole-tabs, a cord connecting said tabs, a slide engaged with said cord, and adjustable connections between the two slides.

6. Suspenders comprising flat shoulderstrap or supporting portions of a length to lie on the shoulders of the wearer, relatively narrow front and rear. portions traversing the front and back of the wearer, and suspenderends engaged with the front and rear portions respectively, whereby an extended surface contact of the suspenders will be provided solely at the shoulders, the rear and front of the wearer having slight surface contact.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. EDGARTON.

Witnesses:

PERCY E, HUNT, WALTER S. WAIT. 

